Obviously neither Paley nor Darwin knew about DNA, but DNA is just a confirming bit of evidence for common descent.
The cambrian explosion was known about nearly 200 years ago and was troubling to Darwin at the time. Since then we have a much better fossil record extending over a much greater period of time.
There are no new concepts in ID.
And there is nothing new in science which disproves God either.
The ID seems to me to be an attempt to reconcile faith with scientific knowledge. People who believe in this proposition are granting that such things as evolution do exist, only it is Divinely Guided. Many people I know of who are Christians would reject anything that implied the literal 7 day story of genesis is incorrect. The fact that this idea is being accepted by more and more people will also mean more people will begin to form their ideas about the nature of God by looking at natural law.
I form a great deal of my image about the nature of God from just that sort of thing. When I observe the life and death struggle of wild animals, the lion pouncing on a gazelle, I see a BENEVOLENT hand of God.
The whole thing brings up lots of philosophical questions. I can see where some would view the ID idea as supportive of faith, and others would view it as undermining it. To me, it simply seems the most rational, which is why I doubt it will ever be widely accepted.